Rear-view mirror for eyeglasses



0a. 10, 1939. J. J'IRANEK 2,175,896

REAR-VIEW MIRROR FOR EYEGLASSES Filed- Jan. 12, 1938 Fig.4.

.INVENTOR Josef J'z'rdnek I. ATTORNEY I Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to optical devices, and in particular to opticaldevices for personal wear, such as eyeglasses and goggles.

The invention has for an object to provide an 5 improved device forpersonal wear which will extend the visual field in one or moredirections.

An optical device according to this invention comprises essentially asmall mirror and means for supporting it slightly in advance of the eye10 and displaced from the center of thflatter.

Adevice according to this invention may be self-supporting oralternatively, it may be adapted to be supported by existing opticaldevices such as a pair of eyeglasses or a pair of goggles; 5 or again,it may be built into eyeglasses or goggles, eyeshades or the like, so asto form an integral part thereof, in which latter event the mirroritself may be detachable.

As applied to goggles, such as those worn by 20 motorists, in which apair of glasses have extend: ing rearwardly from their frames, flexibleor other bars or walls which fit closely to the face of a wearer, amirror according to the invention, may be mounted in a separately formedmem- 25 her on the side wall which is hinged at its forward edge, thismember of the side wall having the mirror at its inner surface and beingcapable of opening and shutting after the manner of a door or flap, toand from position for use. 3 For application to existing eyeglasses adevice according to the invention may take a wide variety of forms. Forexample, it may comprise a stem or framework adapted to be clipped, orotherwise removably engaged with the forward 36 part of a side piece sothat the mirror is supported preferably slightly in advance of the"junction between said side pieces and the eye rim. Again, the mirror maybe supported by a pair of rims adapted the one to extend above and 40the other below the lens or glass at one side of a pair of eyeglassesand to engage the eye rims to hold the mirror in the appropriateposition. In another arrangement, a bar adapted to extend across the eyerims of a pair of spectacles at the 45 top thereof and to be detachablyengaged therewardly thereof tightly to engage-the usual thickened orthicker part thereof.

In all cases, the mounting of the mirror may be such as to engage theangular position thereof and distance in relation to the eye or eyes of5 a wearer to be adjusted, and it is to be understood that the mirroremployed need not necessarily be-flat but may, with a view to increasingthe field of vision made available thereby, be of convex type.

It will be apparent that the present invention enables inconspicuousmeans to be provided whereby the user or wearer may considerably extendhis field of vision, which, although perhaps most useful for seeing in arearward direction, may nevertheless be used also for extending thefield upwardly or downwardly. It will also be apparent that a singleoptical device according to the invention, may serve for expansion ofthe field of vision in more than one direction simultaneously. Themirror employed may be of any desired or convenient shape.

For seeing in .a rearward direction the inventionis particularly usefulfor cyclists and other road users who cannot convenientlyuse the rearobservation mirror universally employed. The invention is also usefulfor pilots of aircrafts or for those engaged at lookout stations.

For further comprehensionof the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claim in which the variousnovel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawlngforming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pair of glasses with a mirrordeviceconstructed according to this invention applied thereto. v

Fig. 2 is an elevational view looking in the 40 direction of the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another mirror device constructedaccording to a modification of the invention. I

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the application of the device illustratedin Fig. 3 upon eyeglass frames or eyeglasses.

The mirror device, according to this invention, includes a support forengagement on ones head such as an eyeglass device or a spectacle frameIII. A clamp II is provided forengagement on the support "1.. An arm 12is adjustably mounted on the clamp l I. A mirror I3 is pivotally mountedon the arm l2.

The support I 0 as shown in Fig. 1 comprises 5'! lenses l!- or goggleframes, and ear bars I0 con-- nected therewith. The clamp H is shownmounted upon one of the ear bars. The clamp H comprises an arm llextending parallel to the ear bar ill and having an offset end H formedwith an opening through which the ear bar extends. The arm II issupported by a bar II which is formed with an opening H through whichthe ear bar [0 extends. An L.'-shaped bar ll" slidably engages throughthe end portion li and one end of the bar ll. The bar II is parallel tothe eyeglass bar Ill and has an offset end. The arm l2 is'pivotallysupported by a pintle 14 upon the oilset of the bar H. The

arrangement is such that the clamp ll may be shifted forwards orrearwards along the ear bar I0 to a satisfactory position. The bar H mayalso be extended forward and rearwards. At its free end it is*-providedwith a head I 5 which limits it from possible complete disengagementfrom the clamp. The mirror I3 is pivotalupon the arm l2 and is limitedfrom moving in one direction by a clamp IS on the arm l2. At the otherend the mirror I3 is held by lock nuts IT.

The mirror device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be moved to an inoperativeposition, the position shown by the full lines. When it is required thatit be used the bar I I may be moved forwards and the arm l2 pivotedaround to any angular position. Similarly, the mirror l3 may beswivelled on the arm II. In this manner it is possible to universallyadjust the mirror H to see directly? to the rear or oil-at an angle, orupwards or downwards, or in other directions as required.

Friction is depended upon to maintain the bar H in forward or rearwardposition; also to maintain the arm I2 in various pivoted positions, andalso to maintain the mirror 13 swivelled to various angular positions.

In Figs. 3 and 4, another modification of the invention has beendisclosed which distinguishes from the prior form in the matter of formrather than principle. According to this form of the invention there isa support II for engagement on one's head. This support may be'a pair ofeyeglasses or may be an eyeglass frame or other type of frame adapted tobe supported on the head. This support 20 is shown tohave ear bars 2| bywhich it is supported over 'the ears and across ones face. The support28 also has a nose frame.

supportelement 22 and glass or frame parts 23 through which a wearer maylook.

A clamp 24 is provided for engagement on the support 20. This clamp hasa pair of spring jaws .24 and 24? which are adapted to clamp upon theedges of the glass or frame portions 23.

The clamp is also provided with a front pair of outwardly projectingportions 24 and 2. In these latter portions there are arms 25 slidablymounted. Each of these arms has a head 26 to hold it against possiblecomplete displacement. The other ends of the arms have end portions 25which are benttowards each other. These end portions 25 engage into theends of a tubular support 28 secured upon the back of a mirror 21. Thearms 25 are arranged at an angle to the clamp jaws 24 and 24 as clearlyshown in Fig. 4. The arrangement is such that a wearer may look out intothe mirror 21 and see objects to the rear or the sides. The mirror 21may be pivoted on the end portions 25. The arms 25 may be extended orretracted, as required. The mirror 21 may be removed by flexing outwardsthe end portions 25* 'to disengage from the ends of the tubular support26.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

A mirror device comprising a support in the formof aneyeglass frame forengagement on ones head, a clamp having a pair of forwardly andoutwardly projecting portions with bearings in the ends thereof, saidclamp being attachable on said support, a/pair of forwardly andoutwardly extending arms slidably supported for adjustment in saidbearings and bent toward one another at one end, and a mirror pivotallymounted at the ends of said arms, the opposite end portionsof said armsbeing bent toward one another to cooperate with co-acting means on therear of said mirror for securing said mirror pivotally therebetween,said clamp comprising a pair of clamp jaws adapted to engage the edge ofsaid eyeglass J OSEF' JIRANEK.

